The Edgar Pangborn Megapack by Edgar Pangborn

Author:Edgar Pangborn
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Mystery, science fiction, pulp, adventure, sci-fi
ISBN: 9781479420230
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2016-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

“Mr. Lamson had the answer. Remember?—‘the fact is, my dear girl, we just don’t believe your story.’”

“Hell with Butch Lamson—he’s not the jury.”

“You think they might find second degree?”

“That could happen. The only just verdict would be involuntary man-slaughter.”

“My love, can’t you hear me? I’ve told you, I am guilty. Twenty to life. What do people feel when they cry out ‘O God! O God!’—does the sound do something for them?”

“I don’t know, Callista. I was never religious. Were you, ever?”

“Not for real, I guess. Away back, soon after Father died, I think the fluff and tinsel mythology of Sunday school had some hold on me for a short while. But I kept remembering a few of Father’s comments, spoken when I was too young to get the point. They fell into place finally, made sense. When I was thirteen I told Mother I wasn’t going to make the motions any more. Stuck it out, too, with a bit of surprising help from Herb. One of the rare times I’ve seen him lose his temper—popped half-way out of the armchair while Mother was lecturing, and said: ‘God damn it, Vic, let the kid do her own thinking! She will anyway.’ I could’ve loved him for that, if he hadn’t lapsed back into being Herb Chalmers—if he wasn’t a stepfather—if I wasn’t a crossgrained bitch who never knows how to make advances at the right time. Well, that time Mother was so startled the artillery just didn’t function. She went meek, maybe to see what Herb would do next—which was nothing. But also she never bothered me about it again, much. I suppose because her own religion is pure social conformity. If she’d had any serious convictions I might have had a battle on my hands. Twenty to life. What happens tomorrow?”

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